The invention relates to a process for manufacturing semiconductor devices comprising a die on a carrier, the process comprising the steps of
providing the carrier, PA0 stamping the carrier with a stamping tool by driving the stamping tool in a reciprocating manner in a stamping direction by means of a conversion mechanism which converts a rotary movement to a reciprocating movement. PA0 a chassis, PA0 a plunger for carrying a stamping tool, which plunger is guided relative to the chassis in a stamping direction by a plunger bearing, PA0 a conversion mechanism for driving the plunger in a reciprocating manner in the stamping direction, the conversion mechanism being conceived to convert a rotary movement to a reciprocating movement. Here the word `stamping` is meant to include processes such as IC damber cutting, trim forming and BGA singulation by means of punching.
The invention further relates to an apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor devices comprising a die on a carrier, the apparatus comprising
Such a process and such an apparatus are known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,768. The known apparatus comprises a motor driven disc and a rod that is eccentrically connected with one end to the disc. The other end of the rod is connected to a first end of a horizontal lever. The horizontal lever is rotatably connected to a chassis and is connected at a second end to a plunger via a plunger rod. When the disc is rotated the lever is tilted via the rod and the plunger is reciprocally driven in the horizontal direction. A stamping tool can be connected to the plunger in order to trim excess portions from leads of a leadframe strip package having a semiconductor chip mounted thereon. It has been found that stamping with the known apparatus does not always result in semiconductor devices that meet the dimensional tolerance requirement of the leads such as coplanarity.